With a Service Business Do I Sell Products?

Yes! Whether you start with a service business or not, you also sell products. That's how you clone or replace yourself.

Did you know that others want your knowledge? Of course you did. That’s why you make your services available. But did you also know that people will pay for your expertise in the form of products, too?

I’ve visited many websites of coaches and consultants, VAs (virtual assistants) and others who sell their services. I was looking for their products to buy but many did not have any!

You LOVE what you do AND you would like more money coming in than your hourly rate. Even if you have services available, have products that relate as well. Here are some simple things to start you on your way.

Develop Your Own Product
This may take a lot of time (for the first one). Record yourself doing the thing you want to turn into a product. If it’s a book or a course and you are speaking or teaching, then record what you say and have someone transcribe it for you. With some editing you can now sell this!

If you have something you’ve developed but don’t know how to make the "thing" itself, there are plenty of people who do – and who like doing this development. With the internet, we can find the right person at the price we want to pay. You don’t have to "build" it ourselves.

Write Booklets
Write short "tips booklets". This could be your "bread and butter". They draw people to your website, earn you money, and are easy for you to do.

Have Other’s Affiliate Programs
Join an Affiliate program on another’s website and then put it as a resource on your website. You’re offering something useful to your readers AND you’re being paid at the same time.

Have An Assessment
It doesn’t matter what you do, you can always have an assessment. Use someone else’s or develop your own. You already know what kind of client you like to work with and have questions you ask them at the beginning of your relationship with them. This is your product.

Hold Teleclasses Then Sell Them
Have many teleclasses either by telling everyone things you know or by interviewing other experts. Record the call (it can be done for free now by the "conferencing" company). Then sell each one from your website. If you want to do it really simply, send out the mp3 file as a download when people buy it instead of mailing the CD.

Sell Other’s Products
Let’s say that you have a service where you can consult on how to cook for busy people. You call yourself a Personal Chef but you spend all your time in a kitchen, there are only so many hours in a day, and you can only charge so much for a meal. You could also sell other’s pots and pans, cookbooks you endorse and perhaps use, or their gift certificates.

You both win!

Joint Venture (or partner) With Someone
If you haven’t got a following (also called a "list") yet, consider partnering with someone who does. Be sure you … get along with the person, their business is complementary to yours, and you have something they don’t have and want.

These are just a few things you could do to have products AND services available to your clients … and at little or no cost to you.

BIO
Do you want to grow your biz with marketing? Trudy Van Buskirk, entrepreneur and founder of Smallbizbuilder, has been helping small business owners be better marketers since 1980 and publishes a free ezine with a practical marketing tip to use right away, and books designed to create business success. Go to her website at http://www.smallbizbuilder.com . Here you can get more products and programs to grow your business easily. Reach her at trudy@smallbizbuilder.com